Smooth as Silk, Seductive, Sultry, and Deadly

Oh, she's a doll.  Glamorous! Talented! Flirty!  Seductive!  The actress, always in a shiny evening gown, and always having men drool and fall all over her.  She knows her power over men and she will use them to get what she wants.  Nort just any many.  Rich and powerful men.  The dame intends to go to the top and stay there once she gets there.  The man she chooses will have to be rich and ask no questions. Today we have another morality tale.  Virginia Grey will give us a portrayal of the aforementioned dame and do it so well. The hunks will drool and do anything for for her if it means her affection.  Anything! Let us look at 1956's "Smooth as Silk," directed by Charles Barton.

Hunk Mark (Kent Taylor) is a wealthy defense attorney. He has just gotten playboy Don Elliott (Danny Morton) off for murder. Don is a perpetual drunk and mowed down his GF while drunk. Mark plied his courtroom magic and convinced a jury that Don was innocent, even though he wasn't. Mark's GF, actress Paula Marlowe (Grey) is excited. See, Mark took the case when the uber-wealthy Stephen Elliott (John Litel) hired him to defend his nephew. Stephen is a Broadway producer and will be casting for a surefire hit. Paula wants the lead. Stephen tells Mark that if he gets his nephew off, he will cast Paula in the lead. Mark gets Don off. Stephen never liked Paula and reneges on his part of the deal. Paula dumps Mark and has Don romance her.  She then dumps Don and has Stephen romance her. Paula pours on the seduction and charm and gets the part.

See where this is going? It gets worse. Stephen announces his engagement to Paula...Mark is upset.  Don is upset. Hunk men with egos, alcohol, and weapons can be dangerous. Oh, what a man would do to secure the affections of a beautiful dame...namely Paula Marlowe. The gun goes off and now this twisted love story is a murder mystery.  At least to the police.  What follows are more lies and deceit. Bloody publicity rocks Paula's popularity and no one in their right mind will cast her.  This is quite a difference from casting films in 2026.

Just who killed who?  Who will end up with Paula Marlowe?  Will the winner of the Paula Marlowe Sweepstakes end up wishing he had never laid eyes on this femme fatale doll?  This is a good one and the wild plot developments in the second half will shock you.  For a terrific evil femme-fatale murder mystery, see "Smooth as Silk" and allow Virginia Grey, as Paula Marlowe, to seduce you.